


Shades of You

by Minty_Pixie



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Art Student Kyungsoo, Dutch Golden Age, Fluff, M/M, Park Sunyoung, Rembrandt - Freeform, Vermeer, Video game enthusiast Jongin, just a lot of art stuff, paintings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-04-22 01:05:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14297394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minty_Pixie/pseuds/Minty_Pixie
Summary: Art student Kyungsoo is at the museum with his class. Their assignment : sketch three of their favorite masterpieces.And Kyungsoo really likes Rembrandt and Vermeer, but he also kind of wants to draw this guy who pensively looks at a painting.Masterpiece indeed.





	Shades of You

**Author's Note:**

> Posted for KaiSoo Day on AFF.
> 
> Basically, it's a short little thing I wrote in a couple of days, cause I woke up one morning wanting to write something for January 13th.  
> This fic turned out to be a shameless excuse to 1) write about art xD, and 2) imagine yet another way they could've met, in another world.  
> I hope you'll enjoy it !

“Okay class ! Attention please !” the teacher says in a booming voice, earning two glares from the guards posted at the Museum’s front door, “I know it’s winter break, and you would all rather be home, tucked under a blanket with a glass of wine !”  
   
“Pretty sure that’s what _he_ ’d rather be doing,” Sunyoung whispers, leaning towards Kyungsoo.  
   
“Yep… A cup of coffee does sound like heaven, though,” he answers, rubbing his hands together, “It’s freezing in here.”  
   
A quick look around him suffices to know his classmates are all thinking the same. Bundled in thick coats and fluffy scarfs, sniffing, coughing or shivering, they definitely look like they cannot wait for the class trip to be over.  
   
“So, here is the deal !” the teacher continues still as loudly, “You’re gonna roam around the museum, take your time admiring the paintings. Then you’re gonna pick three of them and sketch them ! Don’t render too much, I want you to capture the raw emotions in those masterpieces.”  
   
“I think that tall guard wants to rip Mr. Choi’s head off,” Sunyoung chuckles, subtly pointing at the guy rifling through the visitors’ bags before letting them enter the gallery.  
   
“Remember, this is a special exhibition  You might never be able to come across most of those paintings ever again ! So, make the best out of this visit !” the teacher advices, looking too bored in comparison of his words, “Once you’re done, just come and show me your work. If I deem your sketches good enough, then you can leave.”  
   
“Bet you he’ll let us go even if we draw _The Milkmaid_ in stick figure,” Kyungsoo snorts, and Sunyoung has to muffle her laugh behind her gloved hand to not draw attention to them.  
   
“Alright, fire up your pencils !” Mr. Choi finishes with gun fingers, making them cringe.  
   
The students immediately scatter in the hall, before entering the different rooms holding the paintings.  
   
“I’m gonna go over there,” Sunyoung tells him, pointing to their left, “There’s a piece by De Lairesse I wanna check.”  
   
“Okay,” Kyungsoo nods, eyes fixed on the exhibit catalog, trying to decide where he should begin, “I’ll catch you later, then.”  
   
Once his best friend is gone, Kyungsoo starts walking in the opposite direction, where most of Rembrandt’s works are displayed. He might as well visit the museum in the order recommended by the catalog.  
   
The old master is undoubtedly one of Kyungsoo’s favorite painters, not only from the Dutch Golden Age, but of all eras and movements. The way his style had progressed from quite polished and refines, to something rawer, almost coarse in his treatment of lights and shadows, giving life to the paintings with an outstanding technique.  
The change might be paralleled with the artist love for etching, as printmaking had been one of the medias used by Rembrandt, but Kyungsoo liked to think it was also a because of the painter’s maturity, as he discovered how to transcribe emotions in a bolder use of his brush.  
And if numbers of contemporary critics disapprovingly claim his late works look too rough and splotchy, Kyungsoo cannot help but be entranced by how the master used pronounced brushstrokes, ragged and harsh on his canvas to make the light stand out, the dramatic contrasts and rich colors unveiling the subjects in his portrait, as well as his landscapes, in poignant emotions.  
   
The large room is not crowded when he passes the doorway, and only a few people are strolling on each side, either observing the paintings or taking selfies in front of the masterpieces. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, slightly shaking his head.  
   
He spends long minutes in awe in front of each canvas, eyes roaming and absorbing the shattering beauty, trying to carve in his memory each brushstroke, each subtle change in hue, thick clutters of oil paint gradually thinning in the negative spaces, dark earthy tone melting in strong golden shades in the clarity and giving a mesmerizing depth to his pieces.  
   
To his delight, the exhibition was also displaying _The Man with the Golden Helmet_. Painted in 1650, the piece had, for long, been attributed to Rembrandt, before later analyses attested it most likely was a work from one of the master’s students.  
   
“Lucky bastard,” Kyungsoo says under his breath.  
   
How inspiring it must have been to be taken under the wing of such a mentor.  
   
He keeps wandering in the same room, trying to make up his mind. He knows he wanna sketch one of Rembrandt’s works, he just needs to decide _which one_.  
   
The _Portrait of Saskia van Uylenburgh_ is really nice, depicting the woman Kyungsoo knows was the painter’s wife in warm colors, perfect representation of the master’s limited but stunning palette. Just as much as _The Girl in a Picture Frame_. Painted with oils on wood in similar hues, it shows how the artist tended to partially eclipse his models’ faces in dreamy shadows, bringing the viewer’s attention on the flood of light illuminating the visible features, a great amount of details added around the eyes, making them the focal point of the painting. He truly was a master of _chiaroscuro_. Even through the aging varnish darkened the canvas, the piece is still astonishing.  
   
After spending a few more minutes on _The Philosopher in Meditation_ , openly gawking at the mysterious scene and its slight accelerated perspective, beam of golden light revealing one figure, as obscurity conceals the two others, Kyungsoo finally settles in front of _Danaë_.  
When he saw the name of the painting on the exhibit catalog, he was quite surprised, knowing the masterpiece was usually not moved around, not only because of his large size, but also as a consequence of the attack it went through, being deteriorated with sulfuric acid and knife stabbing. It was well known the masterpiece has been well kept in the Hermitage Museum in Saint-Petersburg after its restoration that lasted twelve years.  
But in front of him, the massive canvas stands proud, and, despite being now lighter in the center, where it had been mostly damaged, the painting remains breathtaking. The way Danaë lies naked in her bed, eyes turned to the side, bathed in the shower of gold light sent by Zeus to impregnate her, is truly stunning.  
   
A light chuckle later, as he sees the old man creepily standing in the background, Kyungsoo sits on the bench facing the painting and opens his leather satchel, taking out his large sketch pad and his wooden pencil case.  
   
Normally, he prefers using oil paints over any other medium, loving that distinct linseed oil and turpentine scent it emits as he lets his brush swipe the canvas. Sunyoung keeps scrunching her nose whenever she smells it on him and requires that he ventilates his apartment for a few hours every time she plans on visiting. But again, her medias of choice have always been dry pastels and watercolors, odorless and soft materials for a delicate girl, so Kyungsoo understands the strong fragrance of oils can disturb her.  
   
He would sometimes go for acrylic paints, only when he isn’t up to wait for days until each layers of oils dried, but he rarely minds the long process.  
However, today, quick sketches are in order, so he opens the case, pondering for a few seconds between charcoal sticks and graphite pencils, before finally settling for the former, as he will be able to add contrasts more easily that way.  
   
Half an hour later, he blows on the textured paper, sending black dust flying in a little cloud. Lifting the sketch pad in front of him, so he can look at both his drawing and the original painting, Kyungsoo smiles, satisfied with his work, before carefully closing the pad. He will need to apply fixing spray as soon as he will get home, he thinks as he wipes his stained fingers on his black jeans.  
   
When his material is back in his bag, he makes his way to the next room, which, according to the exhibit catalog, is filled with Ruysch, Bosschaert and Claesz pieces.  
   
Kyungsoo is not that much into still-life, though, unlike Daehyun, who he can see meticulously drawing in the far right in front of Pieter Claesz’ work, so after going through all the paintings in this room, he passes to the next.  
   
Knüpfer and Leyster works are displayed in this one, each canvas representing scenes of everyday life with so many people, that the room feels crowded even if only a few art amateurs are walking around. Kyungsoo takes some time to admire the level of detail the two artists were able to put in their paintings, but himself being more attracted to less clustered pieces, he keeps advancing, a quick look at the catalog informing him the following room is dedicated to Frans Hals, another favorite of his.  
   
There, he spends a good ten minutes in front of _Gipsy Girl_ , the oil on wood painting he knows is usually displayed at the Louvres Museum, since he had the chance of seeing the tronie over there, when he went on a trip to Europe.  
He wants to try to capture the girl’s mischievous smile on paper, but since he already sketched a portrait, and there are still four rooms to go through, he sighs and breathes a silent goodbye to the beautiful masterpiece, before exiting the room.  
   
In the hallway connecting it to the next, he spots Sunyoung chatting with Eunji a few seconds before the girls notice him.  
   
“Got any luck, so far ?” Eunji asks him with that typical bright smile of hers.  
   
“I’m sure he has,” Sunyoung answers for him, “You started by the Rembrandt room, didn’t you ?”  
   
Her tone is teasing, because she knows. She had to hear him blabber about his love for the old master more times than he could count.  
   
“Yep ! I went for _Danaë_ ,” he nods, offering them a smile of his own, “What about you ?”  
   
“ _Apollo and Aurora_ ,” Sunyoung simply says, and Kyungsoo nods, recognizing the title of a Gerard de Lairesse piece.  
   
“I tried _The Windmill at Wijk bij Duurstedec_ , because it’s beautiful, but those clouds were as tricky to draw as this freaking title is to pronounce !” the younger girl says, making a comical face, tongue poking out and earning a laugh from the two others.  
   
“They have some Ambrosius Bosschaert, over there,” Kyungsoo tells Eunji, pointing behind him, since he knows for sure the girl loves the intricate details the artist put in the flowers he painted.  
   
“Nice ! I’ll go check them ! You coming, Puppy ?”  
   
“Yes, let’s go,” Sunyoung agrees, “See you later, Soo ? Oh, and by the way, there’s something you should like toward the end ! Something that isn’t in the catalog !” she smiles enigmatically, but before Kyungsoo has the time to ask anything, Eunji already dragged her away.  
   
The contrast between the new room he enters and the last one is seizing. Where crowded painting somewhat suffocated the space, the landscapes hung on every wall, mostly marine and river views, give a feeling of absolute peace.  
Kyungsoo’s graphite sticks would definitely come in handy, here.  
   
Once again struggling to choose between Van Goyen and Van de Capelle, he decides to squint his eyes and slowly spin, to see which painting would be the most appealing with a restricted view, as it allowed him to take in the values in a simplified way by blocking some indirect light rays.  
Two full rotations later, he walks toward one of the canvas.  
  
   
Jan Van Goyen (1596 - 1656)  
**The Meuse at Dordrecht with the Grote Kerk : View from the South-West** , (c.1647)  
Oil on canvas  
74 x 108 cm  
C.L - Louvres Museum - Paris  
   
  
“Congratulations, you are the winner,” he whispers playfully after reading the information under the description.  
   
The room being a large one, benches are places asa central alley here as well, so Kyungsoo calmly settles and grabs his material.  
   
Stroke after stroke, his pencil grates on the paper. He switches between different gradings, from 4H on the lightest values to 9B for the darkest shadows, middle and ring fingers blending and smudging the clouds and waves and kneaded eraser gently patting the page every now and then. After finally adding some details with a mechanical pencil, his gaze shifts again between the canvas and his paper. A few more touch ups here and there, and Kyungsoo deems he is done.  
It could be better, of course, but Mr. Choi asked them to capture the core emotions of the paintings, so even if Kyungsoo is a perfectionist, he forces himself to lay down his pencil.  
   
With everything packed, and after another look at the catalog, he decides to spend some time in the three next rooms and appreciate the art, but to keep the third drawing for the last room, which features Johannes Vermeer’s work, yet another one of his favorites.  
   
He rapidly goes through De Lairesse and Van Ruisdael, before moving on.  
In the next room, Jacob Ochtervelt, genre paintings are displayed on the right, while Gerrit Dou’s pieces are hung on the left. Kyungsoo would recognize the latter’s work anywhere, clearly identifying the influence of the artist’s mentor, as Dou had been Rembrandt’s student, but still enjoying the painter’s own style, with his characteristic trompe l’oeil niches.  
   
His heart sinks in the following room, as his eyes fall on one of his favorite paintings of all time.  
_The Matchmaker_ , by Gerard Van Honthorst is even beautifuller than he imagined, despite having seen super-extra-holy-hell-high-quality pictures of it online. He is almost certain the painting was not mentioned in the exhibit catalog, which is confirmed when he looks at the description that explains the piece had been added to the collection at the last minute.  
   
So, this is what Sunyoung was talking about. His best friend is very aware of his endless love for this painting. He could go on and on talking about the whole sexual symbolism, or the way Van Honthorst’s style is strongly influenced by _chiaroscuro_ , taking Kyungsoo’s breath away.  
A part of him wants to instantly sit down and _draw_. But it would be painful to only do a mere sketch of such a grandiose masterpiece. Call him biased if you want, he would still feel guilty. So, after spending fifteen more minutes admiring it, and with a sad smile, he dejectedly bids goodbye to the painting, and promises himself to turn it into a master study very soon, once he will be able to spend hours, days, weeks on it.  
   
On his way to the Vermeer room, Kyungsoo sees his teacher looking through some of his classmates’ sketches, a disapproving look on his face. Seems like they were just a tad too eager to go home, seeing how Mr. Choi sending them back with a shake of his head.  
   
He snorts when he notices their grumpy expression, before he finally enters the last room.  
Immediately, he starts observing each painting, knowing already which one he wanna work on and hence, saving it for last.  
   
When he finally arrives in front of the _Woman in Blue Reading a Letter_ , Kyungsoo smiles.  
He always had a soft spot for this painting. The extraordinary range of muted blue hues, the use of diffused light and perspective, so typically Vermeer, with no ceiling or room corners showing in the perfectly balanced composition, the emotion and mystery coming off of what looks like such a simple and peaceful scene. It is a rather small canvas, but it is powerful nonetheless, and the woman is capturing all his attention, raising so many questions that will forever be left unanswered.  
   
There are only two benches on the room, but both are already occupied, so Kyungsoo takes out his sketch pad and decides to go for a ballpoint pen, using cross hatching to shade. It will be good to add contrast in the very few darkest shadowed areas, letting the light beige paper acts as highlight, and at least he does not need to sit and have a lot of material around him.  
   
The medium gives him the freedom to work even more quickly, and fifteen minutes later, his sketch is finally done. Sunyoung was gonna love this one. She usually does, whenever he used that hatching technique, saying it gives an edgy vibe to his sketching style.  
He should try to find her. They did not make any plan, but Kyungsoo would definitely be up for that  cup of coffee they talked about earlier.  
   
His hands however freeze in the middle of packing his material, when his eyes land on what is probably the most beautiful piece of art Kyungsoo has ever seen.  
   
“ _There’s something you should like toward the end ! Something that isn’t in the catalog !_ ”  
   
Oh, how right his best friend was. Even if she had no idea. Or maybe she did. She knows him very well, after all.  
   
Mouth agape and gaze roaming on the figure, completely entranced, Kyungsoo revels in the striking scene.  
   
Everything, _everything_ , is perfect.  
   
Proportions flawlessly balanced, as if they had been thoroughly measured and referenced to Gods statues, the body and the face are both soft and hard, with just the right amount of delicate curves and sharp edges.  
Under the museum soft light casting mellow shadows on the features and the heavy bangs shamelessly covering one eye, the smooth skin glows in golden hues, bronze undertones turning carob in the recess of his neck, and down, where the clothes hide secret wonderlands.  
   
Fingers twitching, craving to reach for his graphite to lay on paper the dazzling sight, Kyungsoo stands still, silent, as his heart races in his rib cage.  
   
He can only see the man’s profile, as he pensively stares at the _Woman with the Pearl Necklace_ , but whoever he is, he undeniably puts to shame every single painting in this room.  
   
A true masterpiece in human form.  
   
And Kyungsoo wants to stand closer and study each and every detail of this chef-d’oeuvre, breathtaking godlike apparition in the middle of a dull terrestrial scenery.  
But afraid of disrupting the devastating perfection, he does not. Instead, he takes two steps back, until his back makes contact with a wall, and slowly, never taking his eyes off of the gorgeous man, he sits on the ground, knees propped on front of his chest. From the corner of the room, the vantage point gives him a ravishing view of endless legs and hypnotizing features.  
   
Carefully, cautious of not making too much noise, he grabs his wooden pencil case and opens it, taking out graphite sticks and blending stumps, and sketch pad placed on his thighs, Kyungsoo starts outlining, fascinated gaze shifting between the paper and the muse.  
   
He has not been drawing for more than five minutes, when he begins regretting he did not pack his colored pencils this morning. He would have loved trying to find the perfect combination to render the golden shade of the man’s skin.  
   
His mind instantly wanders through his collection of oil paints. He can almost picture himself pressing the color out of the tubes, and onto the glass, palette knife grabbing some paint and starting to mix in relaxed motions.  
Bronze and praline skin, rosy pink lips, chestnut and rosewood in the shadows, with burnt umber for the dark spots. Maybe even a pure pale gold in the highlights. He knows for sure he would choose to work on a grey tinted canvas, just to make sure the values do not get messed up and the radiant skin tone is not whitewashed.  
   
He is almost certain Sunyoung brought her dry pastels, today, and despite not being at ease with this medium, he would consider trying to find her to ask if he can borrow them. If only he was not afraid the guy would leave before he comes back.  
   
Monochromatic would have to do.  
   
Time slows down, and he lets the graphite glides on the paper, the light grating sounding like music to his ears as the man’s features come alive on the flat surface.  
   
His model remains immobile, like a marble statue, as if he knew Kyungsoo was trying to capture that pensive expression, and the art student wonders what he might be thinking about. His eyes are looking towards the Vermeer painting, but seem to be lost, far further, far away, where Kyungsoo can’t catch him.  
   
An hour may have passed, maybe more, maybe less, when, with a delicate touch, his fingertip finishes blending the soft shadow under the man’s chin, receding elegantly towards his barely visible collarbone. He stares at the paper, smiling. It is not perfect, of course, but it is enough for him to turn it into an oil painting as soon as he’ll be home. He just hopes he will be able to remember the colors he fell in love with.  
   
Just to be sure, he looks up, to try to carve into memory the exact hues. But when his eyes find his muse, the man’s head dropped down, his eyebrows knit together, and even from the side, Kyungsoo can clearly see his disappointed expression as he checks his watch.  
   
Now frowning too, Kyungsoo keeps staring at him. He seemed so contemplative, just a minute before. What could have brought this saddened look on his beautiful face ?  
   
Without really thinking about it, Kyungsoo is already standing, material packed in his bag, and subtly advancing towards the man. Before he knows it, he is standing by his side, looking slightly up, somehow waiting to be noticed. When it does not happen, however, he decides to turn and face the painting the man had been staring at for so long.  
   
“It’s really beautiful, right ?” he says casually, just loud enough for only the man to hear, and from the corner of his eyes, Kyungsoo sees him jolts.  
   
Maybe he was a little too discreet when he marched up here.  
   
“Ah… Y- yeah… It is,” the man says, and his voice is just as enchanting as his whole person is, “I love the...colors,” he adds, somewhat awkwardly, giving a tentative smile to Kyungsoo.  
   
From just that answer, Kyungsoo knows the man is most likely not into art. Which is utterly confusing, considering the amount of time he spent looking at that painting.  
But more important than this enigma, the discouraged expression forces Kyungsoo to speak up.  
   
“Hey, are you okay ?”  
   
“Mmh ?”  
   
“Well, you’ve been standing here for a very long time…” he offers, hoping he will not pass as a stalker.  
   
The affirmation should give the man the possibility to share as little or as much as he wants. But the dejected chuckle coming out of those luscious lips surprises Kyungsoo.  
   
”Yeah, uhm… I was supposed to meet someone. My sister set me up on a blind date, but I guess the guy stood me up…”  
   
The first thought to cross Kyungsoo’s mind is “ _The guy ?_ ”, but he forces the delighted feeling down, because who on earth would be such a fool to stand this man up ?  
   
Kyungsoo sure would not !  
   
“Ouch. I’m sorry,” he says with a grimace.  
   
“It’s okay,” the beautiful man reassures him, despite still looking a bit sad, “And I forgot my phone,” he adds with a sigh, “So, I can’t even contact him. But, like, I just really don’t understand. He seemed enthusiastic…” he frowns, and Kyungsoo is not sure the man realizes he is sharing all this with a complete stranger, “He texted me last night and told me to meet him in front of the painting of a girl with a pearl or something…”  
   
_That_ , however, has Kyungsoo ticking, and he blinks at the man, wondering how the hell he is supposed to announce this to him.  
   
“What ?”  
   
Well, here it goes.  
   
“That’s not... I mean…” This is awkward, but he keeps going, pointing at the canvas, “It’s from Vermeer too but...uh… Wrong painting ?”  
   
“What ?!” the man gasps a tad too loudly as he sharply turns towards Kyungsoo with wide opened eyes.  
   
“That painting, it’s _The Woman with a Pearl Necklace_ ,” Kyungsoo explains, feeling uneasy, “But there’s the _Girl with a Pearl Earring_... It’s in the front room,” he ends, now pointing in a vague direction.  
   
“What ?” the man asks once more, looking at Kyungsoo’s fingers.  
   
“The small room in the hall ?” he clarifies, “Where they exposed the most famous painting of each artist featured in the exhibition…”  
   
The last word is still on his lips when the man dashes off the room, and for some reason, Kyungsoo decides to follow him, clutching at his satchel so the material inside would not get too tossed around because of the swift pace.  
   
When they finally gets in said front room, only a couple with a little girl and three old women are walking around.  
It must be later than what Kyungsoo thought, for it to be so empty. Maybe he did spend a long time working on that last sketch.  
   
“Of course, he left,” the man breathes out, shoulders slouching, and instinctively, Kyungsoo reaches out and gently brushes his upper arm.  
   
“I’m sorry.”  
   
“He must think I stood him up. Shit.”  
   
The downhearted look on this beautiful face surely does not settle well in Kyungsoo’s stomach. So, once more, without really thinking, he speaks.  
   
“Hey, do you...wanna go grab some coffee ? There’s a nice café a block from here.”  
   
“I don’t drink coffee…” the man answers, eyes casted on the ground and a sad smile on his plump lips.  
   
“I’m almost sure they serve draft beers too ! Isn’t it happy hour ?” Kyungsoo suggests after a quick look to his watch.  
   
He _did_ spend an entire hour drawing the guy.  
   
“I don’t drink alcohol either.”  
   
The snort that comes out is not intended, and definitely not the right reaction to have when the man still looks so bummed out, but really, Kyungsoo cannot help it.  
   
“Look, I’m just trying to ask you out, here,” he eventually says.  
   
Maybe straightforwardness would work better. After all, the other freely shared personal things earlier.  
Or maybe not, considering how taken aback the man looks, now.  
   
“Oh...uhm... Sorry.”  
   
“Hey, it’s okay,” Kyungsoo backpedals, not wanting his muse to feel uneasy, “I understand, you were supposed to be on a date already.”  
   
“No, I mean… Sorry, like...I didn’t understand that’s what you were...doing.”  
   
Kyungsoo watches as the man’s face turns from disappointment to embarrassment.  
   
“I see… So, are you up to it, then ?” he asks with a side smile, raising an eyebrow.  
   
“I- Uhm... Yeah...I guess… Okay.”  
   
How can a man this gorgeous also be that cute is beyond Kyungsoo’s imagination, but somehow, the subtle blush on his cheeks suits him just as much.  
   
He would only need a touch of cadmium red added to his customized mordoré base color to render it on his canvas. And maybe some aquamarine blue, on the cooler shadow right under his left cheekbone.  
   
“Alright !” Kyungsoo says, grin widening, “Do you wanna go now or do you want to keep watching the exhibit ?”  
   
“No, let’s- let’s go now.”

“Okay, come on, I just gotta do something real quick, and then we’re good.”  
   
He nudges his head to the side to invite the man to follow him, before exiting the room.  
Spotting his teacher in the hall, looking bored, he makes his way towards the old man, already grabbing his sketch pad in his bag.  
   
Once he is cleared and told he can leave, the both of them get out of the museum, silently strolling the streets side by side, winter wind freezing their noses and ears. Then, finally sheltered in the cozy little café, Kyungsoo orders their biggest mug of cappuccino, cooing internally when the man asks for a hot chocolate and a giant macadamia nuts cookie.

Cute, indeed.  
   
“So…”  
   
“So…”  
   
Once again, a light rose pink spreads on the man’s cheekbones right after they speak at the same time, and Kyungsoo only chuckles, gesturing at him to go ahead first.  
   
“So, you like art ?”  
   
“Yeah,” Kyungsoo lightly laughs, once more, “I like art. Do you ?”  
   
“I...guess ? I don’t know much about it, honestly.”  
   
“Yeah, I figured,” the art student answers, making sure to smile so the beautiful man does not think he is mocking him.  
   
“You go to museums often ?”  
   
“Whenever I can,” Kyungsoo nods, taking a sip of his cappuccino once the waitress placed it on their table, “I was there with my class today. I’m an art student in uni.”  
   
“Oh... Is it okay that you left ?” the man stresses, munching on a small bite of his cookie.  
   
“Yeah, don’t worry ! I completed my assignment, it’s all fine !”  
   
“Assignment ?” the man inquires, tilting his head adorably while his hand circle his hot mug in search of some warmth.  
   
“We were supposed to sketch three paintings, out of the ones exhibited today. It was a bit of a hassle to choose, since I’m a big fan of the Dutch Golden Age.”  
   
“The what ?”  
   
“The Dutch Golden Age,” he smiles with indulgence, “It’s an era that spans in the 17th century, during and after the later part of the Eighty Years' War. Netherlands went through political transition, got the Republic’s independence, and it threw a change in the balance of power,” he explains, “It went into the hands of bourgeois, and of course, it had massive repercussions on the art market. Well, not only on the art market, but that’s the part I’m the most familiar with.”  
   
The man remains silent, but seems to be listening while he chews tiny bites of his cookie, so Kyungsoo continues.  
   
“It’s estimated that between five and ten million works of art have been produced during that century, even if very few have survived. But that specific era is really recognized, when it comes to art, it has a very distinct…vibe, to it. I don’t know if you looked at other paintings in the exhibition and noticed it.”

He could have honestly stopped right there, but as always when it came to art, and this period in particular, Kyungsoo was quite easily losing himself into long explanations.  
   
“The number of different genres of painting literally exploded. Like history paintings, with popular religious subjects, or mythological and allegorical paintings. Portraits too, a lot of them, more specifically tronies, which is more or less portraiture showing an exaggerated facial expression. It was really done a lot during that period. There were also genre paintings, which are basically scenes of everyday life. Still-life paintings and landscapes were also painted a very often. Seascapes or marine scenes, more specifica...lly. Sorry,” he finishes slowly, being the one to turn embarrassed when he realizes he has been ranting and probably giving way more information than what was needed.  
   
“No, it’s okay! I just…uhm...”  
   
“Don’t know much about art,” Kyungsoo softly finishes for him.  
   
“Yeah. But it’s interesting !” the man quickly says, eyes opening as if he was scared he offended Kyungsoo.  
   
“What do you like, then ?” the art student questions after a chuckle.  
   
“Uhm… Video games ?”  
   
“Ah, yeah, horror games, right ?”  
   
And really, Kyungsoo did not think the man could get any cuter, but the shocked expression on his face proves him wrong.  
   
“How do you know ?!”  
   
“Your hoodie,” Kyungsoo answers, his playful grin half hidden behind his mug.  
   
The man looks down, before a look of recognition paints his features, as if he had forgotten he was wearing this grey hoodie where “ _Let’s cuddle and play horror survival_ ” was written in red under a minimalist drawing of a pipe.  
   
“Oh… Uhm, yeah.”  
   
“We had to work on a video game concept earlier this year,” Kyungsoo offers, trying to save the man from being even more embarrassed, “Create a villain or a monster. It was pretty fun, even if I’m not the best at digital art.”  
   
He is rewarded when the man’s eyes start shining with excitement.  
   
“Really ? What kind of bad character did you create ?”  
   
“It was some sort of beast, inspired by the original titans in Greek mythology,” the art student replies, after taking another sip of his hot drink.  
   
“Woah !”  
   
“I have some sketches of it, here with me. From when I was planning my concept. Do you wanna see and give me an expert view on it ?” he offers.  
   
“Sure !”  
   
Absolutely charmed by the man’s adorable enthusiasm, Kyungsoo grabs his sketch pad and opens it at the right page, before laying it on the side of table so they can both look at it.  
   
“That was the very first version,” he says, pointing at the sketch, “It was supposed to be a mix of Theia and Hyperion, power speaking. I imagined it could send burning beams of light on its enemy and stuff but... Yeah, that didn’t really work.”  
   
“I like the design of the head, though,” the man exclaims approvingly, slightly leaning forward to watch it more closely, “Really creepy !”  
   
“Thanks ! That was the idea ! Then there’s this one, which is kind of the same, but version 2.0. Didn’t work either, it looked too pretty.”  
   
“Pretty can be scary too !” the gorgeous male affirms, eyes back on Kyungsoo, “Like Sephiroth ? In Final Fantasy VII...”  
   
“I have no idea who you’re talking about,” Kyungsoo chuckles, “But I’ll trust you.”  
   
“He’s really handsome. Like, _really_ handsome ! And he has that super cool black wing, only one, and this really long sword. And he has long silver hair, cause, like, originally, Cloud, that’s the main protagonist, was supposed to have short black hair so Sephiroth would have been his complete opposite, you know ! And it’s super cool cause, like, Sephiroth looks like an angel, but he’s the bad guy !”  
   
“So, you _do_ know a little about art…” Kyungsoo jokingly smirks, completely entranced by the passionate expression on his muse’s face.  
   
Maybe if he looks at it well enough, he could paint this too.  
   
“What ?” the man brings him back to reality with a tilt of his head.  
   
“Well, you recognized how they apparently used contrasting features to mislead the viewers, or the players, actually,” the art student exposes, “Either it contrasts with another character, or with the character’s personality. That’s a technique used very often in character design, but also in art in general.”  
   
“Really ?”  
   
“Yep ! It’s all about symbolism and how you can use the general pre-conceptions people have. To go with your example,” he offers, “It’s a given for most people that angels are pure, so by giving the character angelic features, they know you’ll somehow trust him, thinking he is one of the good guy. It adds to the surprise effect when the character reveals their true nature. The same can be done in paintings. And on reverse ! Like the painting you spent so long looking at.”  
   
“How so ?”  
   
Before answering, Kyungsoo reminds himself to try to be as concise as he can, so he would not start ranting on and on again.  
   
“Well, the woman seems to be very vane, with jewels and high quality clothes, admiring herself in the mirror, in the middle of her toiletry,” he describes to the fascinated, and fascinating, looking man, “It’s somehow a critic of those wealthy young women, who, back then, had nothing else to do but spend hours making themselves look pretty,” he says, batting his eyelashes exaggeratedly and earning a lovely giggle, much to his own delight, “Of course, there are more than one way to analyze and interpret it, but some think the way she looks at herself in that mirror could be more profound than that. As if she was questioning herself about how shallow it is, to be doing all this.”  
   
“So...the painter made you think she was superficial, but, like, in reality, she isn’t ?”  
   
“Yep, exactly ! Using the archetypal image to misguide you, and throwing you off when you look more closely and think about it.”  
   
“Woah, that’s awesome !”

 

“I really like the final version !” the man says when Kyungsoo pulls out his phone long minutes later, and shows the digital results of that Villain design assignment, fully rendered in color. “Like, I’d be scared shitless if this thing was running towards me ! Monster goals achieved !”  
   
Kyungsoo brain has turned to mush already, stomach twisting in joy from the praise. He knows he must be smiling like an idiot, but really, he does not even care at this point.  
   
They end up both ordering the same drinks a second time, and Kyungsoo decides it is a good time for him to be a little curious.  
   
”So, since you’re not that much into art,” he starts, trying to sound casual, “How did you end up agreeing to go on a date at a museum ?”  
   
Embarrassment makes his grand return on the man’s face, lips pursing and a hand scratching behind his ear.  
  
“Ah...the guy told me it was his only free time this week. And apparently, he was supposed to be there, so he hoped I could come…”  
   
“Supposed to be there ?” Kyungsoo asked, puzzled, “Does he work here ?”  
   
“Uhm...I don’t think so ?”  
   
And somehow, the answer has something ticking in the back of the art student’s mind.  
   
“...What’s his name ?” he cautiously inquires.  
   
“Mmh ? Uhm, Taemin, why ?”  
   
Uh oh.  
   
“Taemin… as in _Lee_ Taemin ?” he asks and watches as his muse’s eyes grow wider than ever before.  
   
“Yeah !” he exclaims, “Do you know him ?”  
   
Kyungsoo releases a weird chuckle. Well, this is awkward…  
   
“Yep !” he nods with a crooked and uneasy smile, “He’s my classmate...”  
   
“What ?!”  
   
The exclamation gets hindered when the man starts coughing on the hot chocolate gulp he just swallowed, and Kyungsoo waits until it subsides before answering.  
   
“He might...still be at the museum, actually...” he provides, “Do you wanna go and check ?”  
   
_Please, say no._  
   
“Uhm...no,” the man answers, and angel sings deep in Kyungsoo’s head, “No, it’s fine. Can I see more of your drawings, instead ?”  
   
“Yeah, of course !” Kyungsoo says after a pause, making sure the beautiful creature in front of him is certain of his choice.  
   
They go through almost the entire sketchbook. Kyungsoo offers explanations for each sketch, giving his muse an insight on context, planning, even showing him pictures of some final paintings he keeps stored in his phone.  
   
“I saw that one ! In the first room of the museum !” the man gasps excitedly when Kyungsoo turns the page and his quick rendition of Rembrandt’s painting comes into view.  
   
“Yeah, I told you we had to sketch three paintings from the exhibition today, remember ?”  
   
“Woah ! It’s awesome ! It’s really well done !” he says, fingertip tapping the woman’s hand, and a second later, his amazed expressions has turned into a distressed one, as he sees the black powder his skin lifted from the paper, “Oh no ! Oh my god, I’m so sorry !”  
   
Kyungsoo honestly cannot even be mad. Which says a lot. He usually scolds whoever dare to ruin his work, Sunyoung included.  
He however only laughs at the devastated look painted on his muse’s face, as the man rubs his finger on his bleached jeans.  
   
“It’s fine, don’t worry,” Kyungsoo smiles, shaking his head, “Charcoal is really dusty, and I didn’t have any fixative to spray on it. Just don’t swipe it and you’ll both be fine,” he assures in what he hopes is a comforting voice.  
   
“Both ?”  
   
“You and Danaë. The woman in the panting,” he adds when he sees how confused the man is.  
   
“Oh... Okay,” And really, _really_ , you cannot blame Kyungsoo for screeching internally when the beautiful man looks down at the sketch and bows his head, “Nice to meet you Danaë-ssi,” he greets with the most adorable smile mankind ever witnessed.  
   
Or at least the most adorable smile _Kyungsoo_ has ever witnessed.  
   
The man keeps his hand clasped between his thighs as Kyungsoo shows him his sketch of Van Goyen’s masterpiece, as if he was afraid to accidentally destroy it.  
   
When the art student is done giving him some information about the Vermeer he sketched and makes a pause, the man ends up reaching out and carefully grabbing the page to turn it, seeing that Kyungsoo does not seem to do it.  
   
But then, Kyungsoo’s fingers are suddenly on the paper, not fearing to smear it, since it was done with ink, and the man lifts questioning eyes towards him.  
   
“You probably don’t want to turn that page...” he says enigmatically.  
   
“...Why not ?”  
   
“Because you might not like the next sketch.”  
   
“Is it scary ? I don’t mind scary things !”  
   
“No, it’s not.”  
   
Deep down, Kyungsoo knows acting so mysteriously would only flame the man’s curiosity.  
And maybe he does want his muse to see that next drawing. But also, not really.  
   
“Is it ugly ?”  
   
This has Kyungsoo shamelessly snorting.  
   
“Please, have some faith in my skills !” he laughs cockily but with a playful grin, “It’s not, trust me. It was actually the most beautiful thing in the entire exhibit.”  
   
“Then I wanna see it !”  
   
Bronze fingers push Kyungsoo hand, and with a light sound, the page is turned.  
   
Kyungsoo waits.  
   
The man tilts his head once again.  
   
“That’s…”  
   
Kyungsoo waits some more. Until he sees recognition spark in the man’s stunning eyes.  
   
“What… You…”  
   
“I told you,” Kyungsoo eventually answers with a shrug, “We had to sketch our favorite pieces of art that were in the museum today.”  
   
“But that’s… That’s me…”  
   
“It is.”  
   
“But you just said…”  
   
“That this was the most exquisite one, yes.”  
   
“I…”  
   
Kyungsoo would most likely have to use cadmium magenta in his mix of paint, to match the color of his muse’s cheeks at that moment.  
   
“I also said you probably wouldn’t want to see it. Blame yourself for being stubborn,” he jokes, tongue poking out.  
   
“It’s… I look…”  
   
“Stunning. Yes. I’m actually proud of myself for how well I captured your expression.”  
   
The man’s eyes are glued to the sketch pad he pulled closer to him a minute ago, cheekbones glowing pink, teeth bothering his lower lip and turning it to a bright raspberry color.  
   
It looks delicious, in Kyungsoo’s absolutely objective opinion. He would like to nibble on it too. But he would also really love to try and find the exact shade, so he can lay it on his canvas.  
   
He has no idea how long he keeps staring at those appetizing lips, but he flinches when he notices the man is looking at him. Quite intensely, may he add.  
   
Is it the right moment to ask _the_ question ?  
   
Maybe not.  
   
Will that stop him ?  
   
Definitely not.  
   
So, he clears his throat, taking a big gulp of his now lukewarm coffee, and eventually goes with the flow, hoping it will lead where he wants.  
   
“By the way… I don’t even know your name,” he says, locking eyes with his muse.  
   
“Ah... Uhm... Jongin,” the man answers.  
   
“Jongin…” the art student repeats, letting the syllables roll on his tongue and wondering if his lips taste as good as his name, “Hi, I’m Kyungsoo,” he adds with a quick wave, and earning an adorable giggle.  
   
“Hi !” the man, Jongin, cutely waves back.  
   
“So, _Jongin_ ,” he says, emphasizing the name.  
   
“Mmh ?”  
   
“What would you say about going to an arcade, next time ?”  
   
“Next time ?” his muse asks, words muffled by the mug he is about to drink from.  
   
“For our next date, I mean…”  
   
Once again, Jongin ends up coughing, caught mid gulp by Kyungsoo straightforwardness.  
His eyes are open so wide they might pop out from their socket and freely roll on the table, shouting “ _YOLO !_ ”  
   
Kyungsoo wants to laugh. He really does, half because of the shock on Jongin’s face, and half because his creative brain has the most random thoughts, sometimes.  
   
But he does not. Instead, he waits. His gaze is still holding Jongin’s one, never shifting.  
   
Of course, he is a bit anxious. Getting rejected is never pleasant. But he wants to show Jongin he is absolutely serious about this. So, he keeps their eyes locked, and gently smiles.  
   
And finally, _finally_ , after what felt like an eternity, Jongin grins back, shyly, cutely.  
   
“I- uhm… Y-yeah. I’d like that.”  
   
And at this moment, as much as Kyungsoo wants to reach for his pencil and lay on paper that beautiful smile, he also thinks it is okay to stay here, falling deeper in those deep brown eyes.  
Umber. With just a touch of copper, right where the light hits the orbs and softly makes them shine.  
   
True masterpiece, indeed.

Maybe, next time, he will not have to draw his muse so secretly.

 

<3

**Author's Note:**

> Here you go ! I hope you enjoyed !
> 
> I tried not to have this turn into an art lesson, but I think I failed xD, so I'm sorry if there was still too much information thrown at you ! I really suggest you go check all the paintings I mentioned, if you're interested ! They /are/ truly masterpieces <3 !


End file.
